Registering A Death
With effect from December 2005, the procedures for the registration of a death in Ireland changed. The next-of-kin must register a death.
The Hospital, Nursing Home or Residential Care Unit where the death occurred will no longer register the death. A Medical Doctor does not issue the Death Certificate.
For a more simplified version, please read the following;
The Death Notification Form
The Death Notification Form is issued by the Medical Doctor/General Practitioner who attended the patient in his/her last illness. This Doctor must have attended the patient within 28 days prior to death and must be satisfied as to the medical cause of death.
Part 1 of the Form must be signed by the Medical Practitioner stating the cause of death.
Part 2 of the Form must be completed by the next-of-kin/relative giving additional personal details of the deceased, e.g. date of birth, PPS number, occupation, marital status, address, etc, etc.
This Form, having been completed by both the Doctor and the next-of-kin/relative, should then be taken to any Registrar for Births, Marriages & Deaths in Ireland where the death will then be registered.
Deaths may be registered in any Registrar Of Births and Deaths office.
See contact details below to find the office closest to you.
As from 5 December 2005, you can now register at the office that is most convenient for you or nearest to your home/work/business address.
The Civil Registration Act 2004 places a duty firstly on a relative of the deceased (whether by blood or by marriage) who has knowledge of the required particulars in relation to the death and who is not incapable of complying with these procedures by reason of ill-health to register the deceased's details within 3 months of the death. The relative does not have to be the next-of-kin (for example, a widow may ask another family member to register the details).
If no such relative exists or can be found any other "qualified informant" has a duty to register the death.
Please contact the Registrar for details.
Where a qualified informant (other than a relative) knows that no relative of the deceased exists who is capable of registering the death, he or she must register the death as soon as possible after the Death Notification Form is in their possession.
Where, within 3 months of the death, such a qualified informant knows of the whereabouts of a relative capable of registering the death, the form must be given to that relative, who must then register the death. A death that has not been registered within 3 months of the event may be registered by any qualified informant.
Completed Death Notification Forms must be brought to any Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
In order to complete the registration process, the Registrar must enter the details in the Register of Deaths, confirm the details entered with the qualified informant and get the qualified informant to sign the Register.
Immediately upon completion of the registration process, a death certificate can issue.
If the deceased was not seen by a doctor prior to the terminal illness or if s/he died as a result of an accident or in violent or unexplained circumstances the death must be referred to the Coroner, in which case the death will be registered on foot of a certificate issued by the Coroner to the Registrar containing all the details to be registered.
Please note that a death referred to a coroner is not a matter for the registration service and any issues arising should be referred to the coroner concerned. The local authority concerned or the Department of Justice and Law Reform in Wexford:
Address: 51 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.
Tel: (01) 602 8202.
Fax: (01) 661 5461.
Lo-call: 1890 221 227.
E-mail: info@justice.ie
web: www.justice.ie.
Registrar Of Births and Deaths offices
Wexford
Civil Registration Office, Births, Deaths, Marriages
Ely Hospital, Wexford
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday 9.30 am to 4.00 pm
Contact:
Tel: 053 91 85753
Tel: 053 91 85754
Tel: 053 91 85755
Civil Registration Office, Births, Deaths, Civil Registrar of Marriages & Civil Partnerships Enniscorthy Health Centre
Millpark Road, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
Opening Hours:
Wed & Thurs 10.00 - 12.00
Contact:
Tel: 053 92 43706
Fax: 053 - 9233469
Civil Registration Office, Births, Deaths, Marriage
Gorey Health Centre, Hospital Grounds, Gorey, Co. Wexford
Opening Hours:
Monday 10-12 & 2.4pm
Tues 10-12 & 2.4pm
Wednesday for marriage notifications only 10-12.00am
Contact:
Tel: 053 94 21374
Civil Registration Office
New Ross Health Centre, Hospital Grounds, New Ross, Co. Wexford
Opening Hours:
Tues & Thurs 2 - 4pm
Contact:
Tel: 051 440200
Kilkenny
Civil Registration Office & Civil Registrar of Marriages & Civil Partnerships Community Services, County Clinic,
James Green, Kilkenny
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri 9:30 -1.00 & 2.00- 4:00
Contact:
056 7784756
056 7784711
056 7784708
Dublin
Civil Registration Office
Joyce House, 8/11 Lombard Street East, Dublin 2
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri 9:30 - 4:30
Contact:
(01) 8638200
Civil Registration Service, Sir Patrick Duns Hospital,
Lower Grand Canal Street, Dublin 2
(Marriage and Civil Partnership Ceremonies only). All enquires should be directed to Joyce House
Contact:
Tel: (01) 8638200